This invention relates to an electric motor assisted vehicle and more particularly to an improved battery carrier lock therefor.
There have been proposed a class of vehicle wherein the vehicle is powered primarily by a manual input force of the operator. However, there is also incorporated an electric motor assist which provides assist power for assisting the operator's manual propulsion of the associated vehicle. Although the type of vehicle employed for this purpose may be of a wide variety, this type of system is frequently used on land vehicles such as bicycles that have a generally open construction.
Specifically, the type of system generally employs a manual force receiving device such as a pedal operated crank mechanism that drives a transmission for driving an output shaft for propelling the vehicle. An electric motor is employed in conjunction with this pedal operated mechanism for providing electric power assist for driving the vehicle. Generally, at least one sensor is also incorporated in this mechanism that senses the input force of the operator to the pedal operated mechanism. This sensed signal is then sent to a controller which, in turn, controls the transmission of electrical power from a battery to the electric motor for determining the amount of electric power assist.
This type of vehicle derives the electrical power for operating the electric motor from a rechargeable type battery. Conventionally, the type of battery utilized is comprised of a battery pack that consists of a number of individual rechargeable cells that are wired in series with each other. For convenience, these cells are generally contained within an outer container that has terminals that afford the connection to the electric motor and controls for it.
Frequently, it is desirable to ensure that the battery itself may be removed from the vehicle and taken to a remote location for charging. To achieve this, it has been proposed to put the battery pack into an outer housing or battery carrier. This battery carrier is then, in turn, mounted in a battery case that is fixed in some way to the vehicle so that, upon insertion, it will be electrically connected to the electric motor and its control Of course, it should be easy to insert and remove the battery carrier for charging and replacement.
Because of the fact that the battery can be easily removed and returned for charging purposes, there is some risk of battery theft. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a lock for locking the battery carrier in the battery box when installed in the vehicle so as to prevent theft.
It is, therefore, a principal object to this invention to provide an improved battery carrier lock for an electric assisted vehicle.
In connection with the lock for the battery carrier, it is also desirable that the lock be one which can be easily operated by the user. For example, it is particularly desirable if the battery lock can be released by the operator through the use of a key or other like device. However, it is desirable to minimize the amount of operation which the operator must undergo when removing and when re-inserting the battery. Furthermore, it is desirable if the locking mechanism operates in such a way that the operator cannot inadvertently leave the lock in an unlocked condition.
It is, therefore, a further object to this invention to provide an improved battery carrier lock for an electrically assisted vehicle wherein the lock cannot be inadvertently left in the unlocked condition and will automatically lock upon re-insertion of the battery carrier into the battery box.